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J.J. Abrams’ new in-the-works NBC drama is setting the TVsphere abuzz as it continues to round up its pilot cast. Believe lead Jake McLaughlin (In the Valley of Elah, Safe House, Warrior) will be joined by actresses Sienna Guillory (Resident Evil series, Love Actually, The Wicked Within) and Jamie Chung (Sucker Punch, The Hangover Part III, Once Upon a Time TV series), as well as newbie actress Johnny Sequoyah. [Read more…]
Man, it seems like this one’s been in “development hell” for ages. I remember hearing years ago that Powers, an original comic book by Marvel MVP writer Brian Michael Bendis and his frequent art partner, Michael Avon Oeming, was being made into a TV show. At very long last, it looks like that dream is becoming a reality.
Cable network FX has ordered a pilot for Powers, with a script by The Shield and The Walking Dead‘s Charles H. Eglee, and direction by Justified‘s Michael Dinner. The comic book follows the work of two homicide detectives named Christian Walker and Deena Pilgrim, who live in a world where there are countless super-powered humans. Walker and Pilgrim investigate crimes that are committed by super-powered people, while each hiding secrets about their own connections to the super-powered.
Should be interesting to see who gets casted in these roles. While not a title known by non-comic fans, Powers has been running for eleven years now, and boasts intensely loyal fans who will be watching to see if the book’s two lead characters are represented properly on the small screen. Also fascinating to watch will be the tone used by the show; Powers the comic book is profane in the extreme, with plenty of graphic violence and even nudity. Will FX attempt to tone down the content, or will they keep the raunchy elements and schedule it at 10:pm or 11:pm?
Circle of Confusion, the production company behind The Walking Dead, is producing Powers for FX. Erati will be keeping a close eye on this one.
As the only actress invited to audition for the part, it was reportedly hers to lose. But David E. Kelley’s instincts must have been spot-on, as he’s awarded actress Adrianne Palicki the lead in his new take on Wonder Woman for NBC.
Palicki is best known for her ongoing roles on Friday Night Lights and Fox’s recent Lone Star. But looking over her resume, it looks like she was always destined for a breakout genre role, with past credits including guest stints on Smallville, Supernatural, the genre-skewering comedy Robot Chicken, and even The WB’s aborted Aquaman pilot.
You can find out more about NBC’s new, L.A.-set Wonder Woman reboot here.
One of the most intriguing and secretive shows in development is CBS’ Person of Interest, from mega producer J.J. Abrams and creator Jonathan Nolan (writer of The Dark Knight). Those two names were virtually all that was known about the show, along with the fact that it’s an unconventional procedural of some kind. But that’s changed with the news that CBS has given the greenlight to film the pilot.
But there’s a wrinkle: there are slightly differing reports on the show’s premise. According to EW.com, the show’s premise is:
An ex-CIA hitman and a scientist team up to prevent crimes before they happen.
Meanwhile, Deadline.com claims that the show is:
…a crime drama centered on a CIA agent, presumed dead, who is recruited by a reclusive billionaire to wage war against violent criminals in New York City.
So which one is the truth? EW’s story suggests a scifi twist to the procedural format, with Minority Report-type “pre-crime” law enforcement. Deadline’s story has a “vigilante” vibe, along with an action-heavy bent.
Is it possible that both reports are correct? Either way, it sounds good to me! For the first time in years, CBS has a show I can’t wait to see.
NBC is signing up for some very unconventional new shows these days. Shows like Ron Moore’s 17th Precinct, Steven Spielberg’s musical Smash, and David E. Kelley’s new take on Wonder Woman. They also have a period piece in the works called Poe, which features literary master Edgar Allan Poe as a detective in the 1840s.
Add to that list Grimm, yet another cop procedural with a twist. The dark fantasy police serial is set in a world where the many characters from Grimm’s Fairy Tales are real. (No word yet on whether they’re the cops or the criminals.) Grimm is the brainchild of Angel co-creator David Greenwalt and one of his Angel writing staff members, Jim Kouf.
NBC has committed to a pilot for Grimm, with more to come if the peacock’s executives like what they see.